Because a data/signaling separation network can effectively improve network capacity and reduce network signaling overheads, the data/signaling separation network is an important direction towards which a wireless network evolves in future, where data/signaling separation refers to separation of a control plane (CP) from a user plane (UP). Compared with a traditional cellular network, a most important characteristic of the data/signaling separation network is that a traditional base station (BS) or an Evolved NodeB (eNB) is physically divided into two parts: a control base station (CBS) and a data base station (DBS). In an architecture of a data/signaling separation network, a user with a low moving speed that is located in coverage of a DBS and has a relatively high requirement for a data rate simultaneously receives signals from a CBS and the DBS. Referring to FIG. 1A, a CBS is configured to control control-plane transmission of a user, for example, to transmit higher layer control information which is used to manage an radio resource control (RRC) connection, maintain a radio bearer, manage context information, and the like, and a DBS is configured to control user-plane transmission of a user, for example, to transmit user data generated by various applications.
In the architecture of the data/signaling separation network, for example, the CBS is connected to a core network by using an S1+ interface, and is configured to exchange control-plane signaling and user-plane data with a core network entity (for example, a mobility management entity and a serving gateway (S-GW) in LTE); the CBS is connected to the DBS by using an X2+ interface which is used to transmit data on the user plane and signaling on the control plane; and both the CBS and the DBS are connected to a UE by using an air interface which is used to transmit the data on the user plane.
After any user equipment (UE) accesses a wireless network and establishes a connection to an eNB, multiple radio bearers are established between the eNB and the UE. According to specific functions of radio bearers, radio bearers may be classified into a DRB (data radio bearer) and an SRB (signaling radio bearer). The DRB indicates a data bearer between a UE and a wireless network, where based on the data bearer, a core network may provide a service for the UE. The SRB indicates a signaling bearer between an eNB and a UE, where based on the signaling bearer, the eNB may control a connection between the UE and the wireless network and schedule a radio resource.
In the prior art, user-plane data of a user is transmitted by using a DRB between a base station and the user. The DRB is the general term of a series of protocol entities and configurations, is managed on a control plane of the base station, and includes a PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol) entity, an RLC (Radio Link Control) protocol entity, a MAC (Medium Access Control) protocol entity, configuration information of these protocol entities, a parameter configuration of a PHY (physical layer), and the like, where generally, the PDCP, the RLC, and the MAC are collectively referred to as Layer 2, and the physical layer is referred to as Layer 1. Configuration parameters of these protocol entities are determined by the base station according to a QoS (quality of service) parameter corresponding to the DRB. A downlink transmission process of the user-plane data is as follows: The base station receives user data from a core network, sequentially processes the received user data at PDCP, RLC, MAC, and PHY sublayers, and then sends the processed user data to the user by using an air interface. An uplink transmission process is reverse to the foregoing process.
In the prior art, in an architecture of a data/signaling separation network, protocol entities or sublayers, corresponding to a DRB, at Layer 1 and Layer 2 on a user plane need to be allocated to a CBS and a DBS according to the following rule: The CBS includes some protocol entities at Layer 2 and implements functions of Layer 2, and the DBS includes remaining protocol entities at Layer 2 and a protocol entity at Layer 1 (that is, a physical layer), and implements functions of other sublayers at Layer 2 and a function of the physical layer.
For example, referring to FIG. 1B, a CBS includes a PDCP protocol entity and implements a function of a PDCP sublayer, and a DBS includes an RLC protocol entity, a MAC protocol entity, and a PHY protocol entity, and implements functions of an RLC sublayer, a MAC sublayer, and a PHY sublayer. In an architecture of a user-plane protocol stack shown in FIG. 1B, a downlink transmission process of user-plane data is as follows: The CBS receives the data on the user plane from a core network, processes a data packet at the PDCP protocol sublayer, and forwards the processed data packet to the DBS by using an X2+ interface; the DBS processes the received user-plane data at the RLC protocol sublayer, the MAC protocol sublayer, and the PHY protocol sublayer, and then sends the processed data to a user by using an air interface. An uplink transmission process of the user-plane data is reverse to the downlink transmission process. It should be noted that FIG. 1B shows only one type of architecture of a user-plane protocol stack, and in an actual application, there are also multiple other types of architectures of a user-plane protocol stack. For example, as shown in FIG. 1C, a CBS includes a PDCP protocol entity and an RLC protocol entity, and a DBS includes a MAC protocol entity and a PHY protocol entity. For another example, as shown in FIG. 1D, a CBS includes a PDCP protocol entity, an RLC protocol entity, and a MAC protocol entity, and a DBS includes only a PHY protocol entity. Other types of architectures of a user-plane protocol stack are not described one by one in detail herein again.
It can be seen from the above that some protocol entities and some sublayer functions of a DRB are allocated to a DBS for implementation, and remaining protocol entities and remaining sublayer functions of the DRB are allocated to a CBS for implementation. Because the DBS does not have a function of a control plane, a data/signaling separation network can effectively run only after resource configuration is performed for a protocol entity in the DBS according to a QoS requirement of a DRB. Therefore, performing resource configuration for a protocol entity in a DBS according to a QoS requirement of a DRB is a key technology for effective running of a data/signaling separation network. However, currently, there is yet no effective solution of performing resource configuration for a protocol entity in a DBS according to a QoS requirement of a DRB.